Bed Bugs and Travel: How to Keep Them Out of Your Arizona Home
- John's hotel-room check
- The coming-home routine
- Free in-home inspection
- Licensed & insured, AZ #8129
Getting bed bugs is bad luck. That is how John Taylor puts it: you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Travel, used furniture, guests, a neighboring unit, and a move are all common ways they get into a home, and which one is most likely for you depends on where you go, who visits, and where you shop.
- What John checks in a hotel room
- What to do with clothes and luggage when you get home
- His rule for used furniture
- Whether the season or the desert heat matters
Call 623-451-0541 for a free in-home inspection. Calls answered 7 days a week, 7 AM to 7 PM.
What John checks in a hotel room
When John travels, he inspects the bed very carefully. If he does not find bed bugs there, he does not worry about the rest of the room. The bed is where they set up first.
Coming home from a trip
This is the routine John gives people for the trip home.
- Bag the clothes: Before you leave for home, put your clothes in a large plastic bag and seal it.
- Wash and dry on high heat: When you get home, wash the clothes and dry them on high heat before they go into the living part of the house.
- Treat the luggage outside: Spray the luggage down with rubbing alcohol and let it dry outside. John's reason: it kills any bugs in the luggage.
Rubbing alcohol and its vapor catch fire easily. Do this outdoors in the open air, not in a garage, and away from any flame, spark, grill, or anyone smoking. Let the luggage dry completely before you bring it in. This step is for luggage, outdoors, and nothing else. Do not spray rubbing alcohol on a bed, on furniture, or anywhere inside the home.
Used furniture
John's rule for used furniture: inspect the piece carefully before you buy it. Look along the seams and in the joints for the same signs you would look for on a bed.
The season, the desert heat, and a clean house: what John says
Call 623-451-0541 for a free in-home inspection.
Phoenix-area customers who called after a possible exposure
From a Bed Bugs Arizona customer “Was concerned that my son's bed and our bed had bed bugs after a recent stay at a hotel. John came out to inspect the beds the same day I called. He went through both beds, and didn't see any signs of bed bugs and gave some tips on what to look for.”
Michael Cavaleri, Google reviewFrom a Bed Bugs Arizona customer “He did a thorough search for bedbugs as we had been exposed from the hotel. He was very knowledgeable and put my mind at ease.”
H Proudfit, Google reviewFrom a Bed Bugs Arizona customer “He came out to check if I had bed bugs after being exposed. He was professional, timely, and really helpful.”
Kim Dupont-Madinier, Google review
Questions about travel and prevention
How do bed bugs get into a house?
On people and their things, and in John's experience, no single route stands out over the others.
I already unpacked. Is it too late?
No. If you are worried, call John for a free inspection, and leave things where they are until he has looked.
Is there a product I can use to keep bed bugs away?
We do not sell products, and John does not recommend treating a home yourself. His prevention advice is the routine on this page: check the hotel bed and bag, wash your clothes, and inspect used furniture before you buy it.
I had guests stay. Should I be worried?
Guests are one of the common ways bed bugs arrive. If you are concerned, John will come and look, and the inspection is free.
Back from a trip and worried? Start with a free inspection.
Look over the bed, and call John before you move anything. If he finds nothing, he tells you so.
Call 623-451-0541 for a free in-home inspection. Calls answered 7 days a week, 7 AM to 7 PM.
What to have ready when you call
- Where you stayed, and when you got back
- What you have noticed since
- Whether the luggage has been unpacked
